10 on Tuesday: Hair, Baby Fever, & Cupcakes

Photo courtesy of Linny's Vault

All right folks, it's time for another installment of 10 on Tuesday so link up at Linny's Vault!
1. My niece is turning 5 on Thursday! That is not cool. Yesterday she was just a year.

From her first birthday



Where does the time go?

2. My hair is finally starting to grow out. I decided 2 years ago that I wanted to grow it out long. But longer hair means I need to pay more attention to it. To all you long haired peeps out there, what hair products do you like?

3. Sophia Bush is coming back to television! Her new show "Partners" will be airing on CBS starting in September. I'm kinda really excited, just sayin'


4. I switched my blog from a 2 column to a 3 column. I don't know how I like it yet but we'll see if it grows on me.

5. So I'm not one who get into the Olympics. My sports watching extends as far as baseball and maybe some football games. But I'll admit, after some trouble sleeping and nothing else being on tv, I've gotten a teensy bit interested. Like when Jordyn Wieber didn't make the finals, how heartbreaking was that?

And how awesome is Missy Franklin? Pretty friggin cool for a 17 year old.

6. Although I am no where near close to having a baby [or even planning to have one], I have been infected with baby fever. I blame my friends with their super adorable kids and big ol' preggo bellies. Yep, it's all their fault I'm daydreaming about baby names and awwing over kids that come into the library (where I work) with their parents.  
7. I wish the writing bug would bite me (maybe it would cure the baby fever?) I have so many ideas but I have so much difficulty making myself sit down and write. There's always this thing happening and that thing that needs to be done.

8. For my birthday, I'm going to bring cupcakes into work... pina colada cupcakes!


Find the recipe here

 9. As the summer dwindles down, I think it's going to be harder and harder to let go of the cat I'm fostering.

How cute is he??

10. I'm really excited for the guest post segment I am starting. It is called Furbaby Friday and every Friday, guest bloggers will post about their furry loved ones. Remember if you want to participate, email me at lifeandtimesofmellynel@gmail.com!

Now it's your turn! Link up!

ANNOUNCEMENT!!!

Love animals? Have a one (or a few) of your own? Wanna come brag about 'em?

Then come be a part of "Furbaby Friday!"

Every Friday I will have a guest blogger write about their furbabies. You can write whatever you want as long as it is completely related to your pet(s).

I am very excited to do this and even more thrilled to hear about all of your pets! I will start it off this Friday with my own furbaby =] If you'd like to join in, please e-mail me at lifeandtimesofmellynel@gmail.com.

Help me spread the word by grabbing the button in the sidebar and tweeting this post!

Dear Monday 7.30.1012

I am linking up with Megan for the first time for Dear Monday =]


Photo courtesy of Megan (I was too lazy to make one)



 Dear Monday, you are gloomy but that's okay.

Dear Followers, thank you so much for following! I can't believe I'm at 11! That may seem like a small number to many of you but to me, that's amazing!

Dear Birthday, you are in less than a week!!

Dear 5 pounds, I know that you are water weight so go away!!!

Dear Ashley, I know it's not the best of days but I love you and I'm here for this roller coaster life has thrown you on.

Dear Kenzie, I haven't seen you since December and I am super excited!!! So ready to have my best friend back in my life <3

Dear Olympics, Usually you bore me but after watching some last night... you're okay.

Dear Apartment people, please approve Kenzie & me. Thanks.

Dear Everyone, Have a beautiful day =]

22 in 22

Living in Yellow posted an awesome post called "26 in 26" where she listed all the goals she wants to accomplish in her 26th year of life. Since my birthday is less than two weeks away I figured this would be a great post to write!

So here is my list of 22 things I want to do in my 22nd year of life =]

1. Lose 80 pounds: I have been struggling with my weight for quite awhile. I would love to get a lot of it off me and be healthy in 23!

2. Take a trip somewhere out of the Midwest: I have NEVER been out of the midwest. Maybe I'll go to Nashville or more likely visit my Ashley in Georgia.

3. Volunteer for something: I love to volunteer but it's been a couple of years since I've done it. I'd like to start again.

4. FINISH writing a novel: Like a lot of writing majors, I want to write a book. The problem is finishing it!

5. Get something published: Yep, I've been slacking.

6. Go to a concert: Since I've been in college, I have made it a habit to attend one concert a year and I've done so (plus some)!



Freshmen Year: I saw Three Days Grace, Breaking Benjamin, & Flyleaf. I also went to Shinedown and Red Jumpsuit Apparatus [Three Days Grace Pictured]



Sophomore Year: I saw Jason Aldean with Luke Bryan.



Junior Year: All Time Low (Sorry for the crappy quality picture)



7. Throw Kenzie an awesome bridal shower and/or bachelorette party: My best friend is getting married. This is a must!



8. Hit 100 followers: This is a purely selfish goal haha



9. Complete Couch to 5k program:I've always wanted to run and I've heard this program is awesome!

10. Back up everything on my computer: This is more of a to-do item. My laptop is hitting it's breaking point and I have nothing backed up. (Once again, I reiterate my slacking point)

11. Organize my life: Photos into albums, cadboard boxes organized into plastic tubs, stories filed and categorized.... yep, all needs to be done.

12. Read every book by Jodi Picoult that I haven’t yet: This is my favorite author and I would love to have read all of her novels. She's amazing.



Nineteen Minutes is my favorite

 13. Start a future in the real world: I graduate in less than a year. Time to start planning for post-college.

14. Forgive and let go of the past: I wouldn't say I hold grudges, because I don't but there are some things I've needed to comepletely forgive and let go. Like my dad and my ex. I can't move on until I have forgiven what they did, especially my dad since that is 21 going on 22 years of harbored feelings. I'll get there though.

15. Get professional pictures of my brother and me done for my momma: We haven't taken professional pictures in AGES. I think my mom would love this. As well as some of our other family members.

16. Contribute more in class: I am ridiculously shy in class and it has a lot to do with looking stupid in front of my classmates and professors. It's time to let that go and show what I can contribute.

17. Do more, expect less: I feel like I expect so much from the world when instead I could be doing more. And that's exactly what I'm going to do.

18. Up my GPA: I want to graduate with the best possible GPA I can earn for myself.

19. Make a scrapbook for senior year: This would just be fun! I already put all my pictures in albums but since senior year is so important, I wanna do something special.

20. Drink more tea: No, I'm not trying to give up coffee. BUT tea is so much healthier. I put this on the list beacause when I drink a glass of tea, I feel relaxed and I really don't take enough time for myself to just relax.

21. Stop and enjoy the moment: During the school year I get so busy with this paper or that assignment or the exam the next day. Since it's my senior year, and may be the last time I'll have all of my friends in one place, I want to take more time to enjoy the moments while they're happening instead of thinking about what's happening next week or next month.

22. Live to the fullest-you’re only 22 once: Just a nice goal to end my list with =]

Sharing Some Love and Doing Some Showing Off =]

Over the past week I have been helping one of my best friends redesign her blog and it is FINALLY finished so everyone should go check out our hard work!

She is an AMAZING blogger and I love her to death so don't forget to follow too!

Check her out here!

Random Thursday: My {Dream} Vacation to Italy

It's time for another installment of Random Thursday with hosts Linny, Natalie, & Kailyn!

This week's prompt is "What is your dream vaacation?"

I have always wanted to travel. I've never left the midwest (unless you count Owensboro, Kentucky as the south?) So when I saw this was the prompt, at first I excited but then after thinking about it I couldn't help but want to pick the entire world. But since I must pick, here it is:
My dream vacation is most definitely Italy and Paris, France.

I love the art, culture, & history that is still so significant to Italy today. Such as in Rome where art and history make beautiful music together.


The Sistine Chapel

The Colliseum

Of course, a trip to Italy isn't complete without going to Venice! This city looks so absolutley beautiful.

Also, I would hit the beaches of the beautiful Naples.

Those are just the main cities I'd love to see, but I can't forget any place I can visit in between!


Pisa



Florence



Sicily

Tuscany

And finally I would end my trip in the "City of Lights"- Paris, France.

Now it's your turn! Sign up for Random Thursdays and recieve a new prompt every week =]

Pour Your Heart Out- Aurora, Colorado: The True Tragedy

Join in at Things I Can't Say.

Normally I would use PYHO Wednesday to talk about something personal or something happening in my own little world. But today, I decided to talk about something weighing on a lot of people-- Aurora, Colorado.

The more details come out, the more chilling the story becomes. We all know what happened (hopefully). So I won't talk about details or even the shoote himself. I want to pour my heart out for the victims.

12 dead. 58 injured. The shooting is being deemed the largest shooting massacre in our nation's history. I find it terrifying that one man took 12 lives. These 12 people died simply because they were in the wrong place at the wrong time.

I didn't personally know any of the victims but my heart aches for them and their families.

One victim was a 6 year old girl. Many were around my age. Ths rips my heart to shreds.
But what pains me more is how some of us are reacting to this tragedy.

I've been reading comments on the news stories being published online and some of it just sickens me. One one article, the comments turned into a heated political debate. I understand that it is an election year, but I feel it is disrespectful to the victims.

In the midst of sympathetic thoughts, there are comments like "This is Obama's fault!" or "If Romney is elected, massacres like this will stop."

It doesn't matter if you are Democrat, Republican, or a political party that wants Spongebob in office. THAT is not how to mourn the dead. We should be mourning these lives lost instead of arguing over candidates.

Even worse, on a story by People magazine about the victims, somone commented:

"and there goes the meaning of the word hero. getting shot by a crazy gun man does not make you a hero. And yes, I feel sorry for all the victims and the survivors (victims and families). But they are not "heros." You can find that story here.

Men were diving in front of their girlfriends and wives and taking bullets. Men were dying for those they loved because some guy decided to go crazy and shoot a lot of people. And they aren't heroes?

I hate to question where our morals have gone. We have so much divsion and hate and just a lack of consideration among us these days. THAT is the true tragedy here.

We should remember and mourn these victims for the heroes that they were, not argue over politics and question whether they were heroes to begin with. These people diedfor seeing a movie.

They died heroes.

R.I.P

Gordo Cowden, 52

Micayla Medek, 23

Jessica Ghawi, 24

Matt McQuinn, 27

John Larimer, 27

Alex Sullivan, 27 (It was his birthday)

Alex Teves, 24 (Took a bullet for his girlfriend)

Jonathan Blunk, 26 (saved his friend)

Alexander Jonathan "AJ" Boik, 18

Rebecca Ann Wingo, 32

Veronica Moser-Sullivan, 6

Read more about the victims here.

Ten on Tuesday =]

It's time for my second link up with Ten for Tuesday! Go on over and join in!


1. I never realized how much I love healthy eating until I do it and then slip back into eating junk for a few days. It's a MAJOR change. WHen I'm eating crap I feel sluggish and gross, but when I'm actually eating good, I feel great. Definitely motivates me to eat better ('Cause who wants to feel like crap all the time?)

2. Why are books so friggin' expensive! I swear,college bookstores are RIP OFFS! Hello Half.com and Interlibrary Loans!

3. Speaking of books, I am now currently reading The Virgin Suicides by Jeffery Eugenides. It's pretty good so far. Nothing like some "provacative" (seriously, it's in the description) contemporary fiction.

4. Does anyone know how how to stop a puppy from chewing your socks and underwear? My dog is a year and a half and she digs through my hamper and pulls out all my socks and underwear to chew on while I'm sleeping. I've had to go back to keeping her in the crate at night which always makes me feel like a horrible dog mama because she loves to snuggle with me at night (in between sock and underwear chewing apparently).

5. School starts August 22 and I don't know if I'm ready. On one hand, I'm excited to embark on Senior Yeardom, but on the other, I know once it starts it's all going to fy by and I'm not ready for it to end.

6. Businesses around town are FINALLY putting out "Hiring" signs. Now I just need some luck on catching one of these jobs.

7. For the past few days I've been helping one of my friends design (well, re-design) her blog and it is looking awesome! I'll post her button when it's finished. I love doing this. It's just so much fun for me.

8. Tumblr. Does anyone have one? I'm thinking about getting rid of mine. I'm never on anymore and I think Pinterest has become the Facebook to its Myspace.

9. On a related note to Tumblr, why does instagram let you post directly to Tumblr but not Blogger? Laaame.

10. This having no followers thing is bumming me out. I mean, I blog for fun and the occasional vent but it'd be nice to know people are reading and actually care. I'm getting page views BUT no followers. Makes no sense.

Now it's your turn! Head on over to Linny's Vault and link up your ten =]

Random Thursday!

**Hosted by Linny, Natalie, & Kailyn so check out their blogs and sign up! Each week is a different prompt.

This week's prompt is "Who is your Doppleganger?"

I don't think I look like anyone out there really. But it's always fun to be compared to celebrities.

My mom thinks I look like Sophia Bush (From One Tree Hill and various movies)

Hmm not so sure

The Celebrity Look-Alike collage maker at MyHeritage has a whole slew of people it compares me to. I tried a few different pictures of myself so here ya go!

Emma Watson 80%



LaLaine 75%



Katherine Heigl 74 %





Kate Bosworth 76 %

I don't think I look like any of them. What do you think?

Blogger 411!

So there is an awesome link up going on at From Mrs to Mama's blog that I've decided would be fun to participate in so here it goes!

1. How long have you been blogging? And what got you started on blogging? Has your blog changed?
I have been blogging since 2009. I've always loved writing (hence my major) but I didn't start blogging until my friend Ashley persuaded me. I don't know if my blog has changed much. I've tried a lot of different things with it and have changed the title a few times and of course its look. Recently, the biggest change has been becomeing more involved in the blog world and taking my blog a step outside of just writing about my life.

2. Did you go to college? If so where, and what did you study?
Yes! I am currently in college now at the University of Evansville. I'm in my senior year. I am studying Writing with a minor in Psychology.

3. Where have you traveled?
Uh, no where. I am so lame lol. I've never been out of the midwest but I'm hoping once I'm out of college that will change.

4. If you won the lottery, what would be the first thing you would buy?
I would pay off my student loans!

5. What are your 3 biggest pet peeves?

1. Liars- I hate people who are just dishonest for their own selfish benefit.
2. Bad body odor- self explainatory
3. Judgemental/Close-minded people- There's just no reason for it.

6. What is your favorite movie?
I have soooo many! A walk to Remember, Marley and Me, Aladdin, How to Lose a Guy in 10 Days, etc, etc.

7. What is your drink of choice; wine, beer, or liquor. Or Water, Soda, Tea?
Sweet Tea is my favorite. But I usually drink water.

8. What is something you enjoy to do when you have me time?
READ! As a college student I am given so much to read during the year that it's hard to make time for "fun" reading so I devour books whenever I have the time. I also like to paint and listen to music.

9. If you could have a $10,000 shopping spree to one store, which store would it be?
[Can I pick more than one?] Either Barnes and Noble, Old Navy, or Walmart.

10. Share with us an embarrassing moment of your past? Or present.
Hmm... I'm always doing embarassing stuff. One time when I was 7 or 8 years old, my mom and grandma took me clothes shopping. I went to pull a pair of jeans off the rack and like 10-15 racks toppled over like dominoes. It sucked. The store clerk was really nice about it though.

11. What day would you love to relive again?
The day I graduated high school. It was the last time I was together with all my old friends.

12. If your life was turned into a movie... what actor would play you?
Mandy Moore or Sophia Bush. I love them! mandy Moore would be a better fit though.

13. What are the jobs you had in high school/college/the early years?
Day care assistant and library worker.

14. Show us a picture from high school or college

The day I graduated high school

.
15. If you could travel anywhere in the world, all expenses paid, where would you go?
Italy, definitely. All over it. And Paris.

16. Show us the most current picture of you or you, or your family, or anything of meaning to you.

This is all 3 :)

17. Where do you see your life 5 years from now?
I don't really know any specifics. In 5 years I'll be 27. So I hope to be in a place where I am surrounded by my closest friends and family. I hope to be writing or working as a librarian. I also see myself with 3 dogs haha and hopefully there's a great guy in there somewhere :)

Now it's your turn!